Pad for labeling machines



March 311, 1936. MAGNUSSON PAD FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed March 51, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- Marci-$ 31, 1936. J. MAGNUSSQN 2,4)35,9711

PAD FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed Mar ch 31, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z6 26 2 20 I 1 59 F6? 9 15 INVENTOR- Patented Mar. 31, 1936 STATES PATENT OFFICE PAD FOR LABELING MACHINES Joseph Magnusson, New

York, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass, a. corpora- This invention relates to flexible pads, and has particular reference to such pads used in labeling machines for applying adhesive to the face of an article to which a label is to be attached. I show my improved pad as used in connection with an automatically operated labeling machine wherein the articles to be labeled are fed step by step on a traveling support to bring the articles first to a work station where the adhesive is applied to the face of the pad, the pad being carried by a reciprocating slide operating to and from the article, and at this time station, after receiving the adhesive the pad makes contact with the article to transfer the adhesive in a uniform layer to the article. Thereupon the article is shifted to another station where the label is attached. It will be understood that the pad may be mountved on any suitable carrier and may be operated in any other manner, such as a hand operated device, or semi-automatic, and the article may rest on a stationary support. The invention deals particularly with a flexible pad that will readily conform to uneven surfaces, such as a surface intended to be a fiat plane surface, but due to natural strains and warping conditions such surfaces have become wave-like in spots and otherv wise twisted out of their original fiat shape. This condition, as an example, is general in card board boxes especially so at the end walls of the box at which place the label is more often applied. When the pad is used on a labeling machine such as here outlined for this class of work when the article to be labeled is frail and unsupported, due to its hollow construction, the end wall to which the label is to be attached would 'yield to the impression unless suitably supported at this time, means are therefore provided in the nature of an inner backing plate against which the impression is made. This plate is made shiftable into and out of position to enable the 'article to be transferred to and from the Work station.

My improved flexible pad is designed to make contact with articles having such uneven faces and deliver a uniform coat of adhesive thereto. The pad is made of a size to fit the label to be applied and is arranged on a carrier plate that can be readily attached to a plunger slide of a labeling machine, or other means of holder, and comprises a flexible slab, such as rubber attached to a plurality of curved spring members, in-

dependent of each other and aligned side by side in a shouldered runway of the carrier plate, each spring having a shouldered guide block attached centrally thereof adapted to slide endwise in the 1933, Serial No. 663,722

plate groove to assemble the same with the pad fixed to the face of the spring members. The blocks provide limited spring movement by the shoulders to bring the face of the pad to a normal curved outline from top to bottom thereof whereby the face of the pad conform to a section of a cylinder. The pad in this normal position can receive a coat of adhesive on its face by the usual method of passing a feed roller over the same in a curved direction, and the pad on the impression will yield to a flat surface due to the flexing of the rubber and yielding of the spring members to apply a uniform coat of adhesive to the varying unevensurface of the articles treated.

It is an object of the invention to provide a flexible pad of this character that will in its normal position present a curved contour, similar to the section of a cylinder, adapting the same in this position to receive on the face thereof a uniform coat of adhesive from a supply roll.

Another object is to enable this curved face to make a line contact with the article at the beginning of the contact and yield to a flat plane position as the impression continues, thereby avoiding air pockets as the air will freely escape from the sides of the pad as the pad assumes the flat position, at the same time yield to the uneven underlying surfaces.

Another object is to provide the spring supporting members of the pad in separate sections along the length of the pad, so that the underlying uneven places of the surface of the article will permit these sections yielding independently and in accordance with the surface of the article.

A still further object is that the pad may be compressed to such an extent that the face of the pad may assume a concave contour.

Another object is the provision of the carrier plate for the pad, the top and bottom projecting 'end walls on which the spring ends rest may be arranged to swivel on a central pivot enabling the pad to assume a twisted form from end to end as well as yielding to other spots on the article surface.

Other features of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification in which I have represented my adhesive applying pad, and point out more particularly in the claims those features which I believe to be new and of my invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of my flexible adhesive applying pad with its face curved to its normal position adapted to receive a coat of adhesive thereon, shown connected to a reciprocating slide used at the adhesive applying station of a labelng machine in relative position to an article about to be supplied with a coating of adhesive.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, showing in broken lines the usual applying rollers.

Figure 3 is a detail view in perspective of the plunger, with the pad and carrier attached in position relative to the article.

Figure 4 is a face view of the pad and carrier plate.

Figure 5 is an end view of same as seen from the left from Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5 showing the guide blocks in elevation in the under cut groove.

Figure 7 is a cross section on the line 'I'I of Fig. 4.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the pad depressed against an uneven surface.

Figure 9 is a perspective detail view of a portion of the carrier plate with a spring member in normal position thereof in an undercut groove and showing in broken lines the spring depressed to a concave face position.

Figure 10 is a modified arrangement of the carrier plate in which the side ribs instead of being fixed are pivoted to have a swivelling action.

Figure 11 is an end view of Fig. 10 as seen from the left.

Figure 12 is a cross sectional view taken on the line I2--I2 of Fig. 10.

It is deemed unnecessary to show more than the station at which the adhesive is applied of a labeling machine. Reference may be had, how- 'ever, to the labeling machine disclosed in U. S.

to prevent further forward action of the plunger rod, but which may be depressed in a rearward direction when making contact with the article. This plunger is mounted on a work slide 5, that is reciprocated in timed relation by an arm 6 in the usual manner by a cam not shown, to co-act with the article A, on an intermittently moved support I, or moved on the support as may be desired. The pad 2 may be made to conform to the shape and size of the label, as here shown it is of rectangular proportions, and is supported on a base plate 8, that is provided centrally and longitudinally thereof on its rear face preferably with a dove-tailed tongue portion 9, that slides in a dove tailed groove I in a head I I, fixed to the plunger rod 3.

The head II is shown somewhat shorter than the base plate 8, and the latter may be adjusted laterally in this recessed runway for exact positioning thereof with relation to the article, and fixed in such adjusted position by clamp screws I2, located at each end of the head that tend to close slotted portions I3 of the head. to grip the tongue 9 and firmly hold the plate 8 in its adjusted position.

The base plate 8 on its front face along its length at the top and bottom thereof has up- (See Fig. 1.)

standing ribs I4, I4 and a central rib I4, the latter slightly lower than the outer ribs for a purpose presently to be described, and is provided with a groove I having overhanging shoulders to provide stop faces I5; to receive therein 5 shouldered blocks I6, eight of which are here shown, but any number may be employed. These blocks at the lower end have oppositely disposed projecting stop members I6 that engage the shoulders I5, and are normally held in engagement with each other by leaf springs I'I, one for each block. These springs are attached to the outer face of the blocks as by rivets IT. The

springs I! are curved and take a position on the plate transverse to the groove I5, so the free 15 ends thereof rest on the ribs I4, the springs being curved to such an extent to provide sufficient tension to hold the blocks to the shoulders in this position. The springs thus arranged on the blocks, when assembled in position on the plate as before referred to, each of the spring members I! together with the blocks may be depressed to such an extent that the face of the springs will be brought to a fiat position, but not limited by the top of the rib I4. But the springs may be further depressed so that thefaces of all the springs, or each singly may be depressed to present a concave form as indicated in Fig. 9.

To provide an unbroken surface and produce greater resiliency than the spring members alone would produce, a flexible facing pad 20, preferably of rubber and made up of two or more layers cemented together or otherwise joined to form a single structure, is cemented to the face of the springs. The rubber pad thus formed will yield more readily to short wavy spots by making the 4 outer layer 2I forming the pad surface of a dense yet pliable grade of rubber to present a smooth face on which the adhesive is applied and then transferred to the article, while the inner layer may be a loose and spongy consistency, as indi- '45 cated in the several views by stippling. By this construction it will be obvious that the pad will readily assume a fiat plane position when making contact with an article, and should the surface of the article be warped or otherwise twisted 59 'or uneven in spots. The pad facing, due to the resilient nature of the rubber and yielding spring members supporting the same, will accommodate itself to this condition, and when in its normal position presenting its curved face adhesive can same shifted to an advanced position and a succeeding box is moved into place by the traveling support I. The plate is fixed to a rock shaft 25 in bearings of overhanging brackets 26, which shaft is rocked by an arm 21 and cam rod 28,

from a suitable cam 29 on a shaft of the machine.

In Fig. 2 the plate 23 is shown in full lines in position to-support the article, and. shown in broken lines when moved out of the shifting on the support 1.

The pad 20, together with the spring members I! attached, may be slipped endwise into the grooved plate 8 and held in place by stop plates 8, one at each end of the plate, either one of which may be removed to enter or withdraw the pad.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12, I show a slightly modified form of the carrying plate 8, in which the rib members 36, instead of being integral with the plate, as in the former showing, are pivotally mounted on the side of the plate centrally of their length as at 3|, so that they may take opposite angular position, as clearly shown in Fig. 10, which shows only the end springs ll, but depressed to their fiat face position, one spring leaning in one direction, as seen in Fig. 12, while the other spring is tilted in the other direction as seen in the end view in Fig. 11. This construction will permit of an impression on a flat twisted plane, without compressing the rubber pad to the extent that is required in the formed solid rib construction.

'From the foregoing it will be noted by this construction of my flexible pad, I am able to apply a uniform coat of adhesive to the face of the pad, since the normal curved face is under tension, whereby a kind of stretching takes place over the entire face, smoothing out any irregularities of the surface during this position of the pad, at which time adhesive is applied to its face, and when contact with the article in the early stage of the compression a line contact only is made with the article face whereby upon further compression air is permitted to escape freely from under the contacting surfaces and by means of the spring members a true fiat face of the pad may be had without depending on the flexibility of the rubber alone. Should however, such surface to be applied be slightly twisted, uneven or wavy in spots, the spring members will further yield independently of each other, as well shown in Fig. 8, and the flexible rubber yield separately to varying slight underlying conditions without exerting too much compression on the rubber pad itself; and further as in Fig. 9, all the spring members may yield, on a full compression, to assume a concave face and thereby the pad is adapted to apply adhesive to a convex face. As

shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, by providing the swivel side ribs 30 on the carrier plate, a surface extremely twisted from end to end may be coated with a smooth layer of adhesive.

What I claim is:-

1. In a labeling machine, in combination, a resilient pad for application of adhesive to the article to be labeled, a supporting member for the pad, a metallic spring member interposed between the supporting member and the pad and having an outwardly curved form and comprising a backing for said pad.

2. In a labeling machine, in combination, a resilient pad for the application of adhesive to an article, a supporting member, a plurality of independent yieldable backing members interposed between the pad and the supporting member to permit different portions of the pad to yield independently of and with relation to other portions thereof.

3. In a labeling machine, in combination, a resilient pad curved outwardly in at least one direction toward the article to be labeled, a supporting member for the pad, and a plurality of independently movable spring backing members interposed between the pad and the supporting member and each being normally curved outwardly whereby to permit the different portions of the pad to yield independently of and with relation to other portions thereof.

4. In a labeling machine, in combination, a resilient pad, a supporting member for the pad, a plurality of independent leaf spring members having their outer ends engaging the outer ends of the supporting member and being curved outwardly to impart a convex shape to the pad, and guiding means for securing the several spring backing members to the supporting member while permitting movement with relation thereto.

5. In a labeling machine, adhesive applying means, including a reciprocatory supporting member, a plurality of convex spring plates mounted upon the supporting member to be movable therewith and also to be capable of yielding with relation thereto, and an adhesive applying pad extending across the face of all of said spring plates and secured to a plurality thereof.

JOSEPH MAGNUSSON. 

